French court has scrapped large parts of a hardline immigration law as unconstitutional.

In a major blow to the government, France’s Constitutional Council has struck down large parts of a hardline immigration law as unconstitutional. The court ruled on Tuesday that the law was overly restrictive and violated the rights of immigrants to family life and social welfare.

The law, which was passed by parliament in December, had been criticized by human rights groups and opposition parties for its harsh measures on immigration. Among the provisions that were struck down were those that would have made it more difficult for immigrants to bring their families to France and those that would have reduced their access to social benefits.

Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin welcomed the court’s ruling, saying that it “confirms that our government is committed to a fair and humanist immigration policy.” However, the far-right National Rally party, which had supported the law, criticized the ruling as a “coup” by the judges.

The ruling is a major setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who had made tightening immigration controls a key part of his agenda. The government is now expected to review the law and try to reintroduce it with some modifications.

Here are some of the key provisions that were struck down by the court:

• A provision that would have made it more difficult for immigrants to bring their families to France: The court ruled that this provision was discriminatory and violated the right to family life.
• A provision that would have reduced immigrants’ access to social benefits: The court ruled that this provision was too harsh and violated the right to social assistance.
• A provision that would have allowed the government to deport immigrants who were considered “undesirable”: The court ruled that this provision was too broad and violated the right to security of person.

The court’s ruling is a victory for human rights groups and opposition parties, who had argued that the law was too harsh and would unfairly target immigrants. The ruling is also a blow to the government’s plans to tighten immigration controls. It remains to be seen how the government will respond to the court’s ruling, but it is likely that they will try to reintroduce some of the provisions that were struck down.